University of Southern California
University of Southern California is a large, private research university. Founded in 1880, the flagship University Park Campus is 226 acres located just miles outside downtown Los Angeles and ten minutes from the Santa Monica beaches. With 18,000 undergraduates, 22,000 graduate students, 750 club offerings and a big time sports program (Trojan football team has won two national titles), students are involved and take advantage of all this West Coast university offers.
Freshmen begin their tenure at USC by donning graduation robes and participating in the traditional Convocation ceremony whereby they are formally introduced to the university – upperclassmen, professors and President C. L. Max Nikias. 52% of students hail from California…but USC enrolls more international students than any other U.S. university.
University Park, USC’s main campus, has all the advantages of a large urban university but also the feel of a smaller liberal arts college. McCarthy Quad, the center of student activity, is where students gather, throw Frisbees and relax in the California sun. Spring Festival, concerts and special events (in 2010 President Obama gave a speech to students on McCarthy Quad) all take place on this beautiful green space surrounded by a reflective pool and Doheny Memorial Library. Biking is a popular form of transportation at USC and bicycle lanes are interspersed throughout campus. At night, students can choose from the bustling nightlife of Los Angeles, or on-campus social and sporting events.
Academically, USC has much to offer. With 14 schools – including the School of Cinematic Arts (oldest and largest film school in the country), the USC Thornton School of Music (one of the most highly regarded music schools), and the Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism (a top journalism program), students can choose from 150 majors and 150 minors. At USC students are encouraged to pursue double majors or combine minors and majors in unrelated fields.
USC offers opportunities for internships, study abroad and connection to the 300,000 Trojan alumni network. According to Associate Director of Admissions Mark Rasic, “USC will give undergraduate all the tools – leadership, experience, global connections – they need to be successful in the 21st century.”
